"The Cubs are in the market for notable rotation upgrades this offseason, and right-hander Michael King is among the names on their radar, per Patrick Mooney and Sahadev Sharma of The Athletic. Mooney and Sharma also double down on the Cubs' previously reported interest in Dylan Cease, noting that the Cubs are willing to forfeit the requisite draft pick and international funds to sign a player who has rejected a qualifying offer (which both Cease and King received from the Padres)."
"It was more of the same early in 2025. King sprinted out of the gates with a 2.59 ERA and even better rate stats (28.4 K%, 7.6 BB%) in his first 10 starts. By late May, he'd claimed the No. 6 spot on our Free Agent Power Rankings here at MLBTR. A nine-figure free agent deal seemed all but certain - provided King stayed healthy."
The Cubs are targeting rotation upgrades and have interest in Michael King and Dylan Cease, willing to forfeit the requisite draft pick and international funds to sign a qualifying-offer reject. Michael King, 31 next May, transitioned from a swingman and multi-inning reliever role to the Yankees' rotation late in 2023 and posted strong results. San Diego acquired King and he started 30 games with a 2.95 ERA, 27.7% strikeout rate and 8.7% walk rate. King began 2025 with a 2.59 ERA and strong peripherals but hit the 15-day IL in late May with shoulder inflammation later described as a pinched nerve and then missed nearly three months, publicly expressing frustration about the inconsistent recovery.
Read at MLB Trade Rumors
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